-Of Light and Dark-
by Chiharo12
Summary: As soon as he heard the girl's voice, his doubts ceased to exist… Atem has somehow returned to the world of the living, through the, apparently, mystical powers of young Yulie Mirota's topaz pendant. He knows he wouldn't have come back, unless there was a purpose for him to… What confrontations and conundrums await the Pharaoh in this new adventure? Rated T to be safe.
1. Prelude

**Hiya! I'm Setsuna! I hope everyone enjoys my first-ever Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic. I've been working really hard on it.  
>Anywho, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, but I do own some of the characters, as well as the storyline. On to the story!<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Prelude<em>

_-Of Light and Dark-_

Call my name.

Someone's calling voice...

Is full of deep sadness and need.

Your bright face...

Is the light reaching toward me.

Of light and dark, as long as I have known...

There is a way through to the heart.

We spend all day...

Just waiting for tomorrow to come.

Though, even if you are broken...

I will not run away from here.

I promise to heal your tired body...

And make you smile.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Atem lie down in the soft grass, gazing up at the ever-beautiful sky. It had been three years since his trials on Earth had ended, and he was finally able to enjoy the afterlife. Or, rather, _should_ have been enjoying the afterlife.

The truth was, he had become quite accustomed to dueling for the safety of all the friends he had come to know on Earth, and he kind of missed all that excitement. While the Pharaoh really did enjoy being with his old friends and family, there wasn't a day that went by he didn't miss the new ones he had met on Earth.

Sitting up, with a sigh, Atem realized just how much he regretted the fact that he had left those new friends. They had only truly began to get to know each other, and he left them.

_Joey, Téa, Tristan, __**Yugi**__… they didn't want me to leave, but they still supported my decision_, he realized. _Perhaps __**they**__ were the ones with the correct answer… Perhaps I should have stayed._

He could never forget all the tears shed over his departure, and that only added to his regret.

_No matter how much I regret it, though, there's no way I can change what my decision was. What's done is done._

He stood up, deciding to go take a walk. Just as he did, though, a massive wave of jumbled feelings smashed him in both his gut and mind: _fear, anxiety, hopelessness, defeat…_

Taking a moment to regain his composure, Atem wondered where in the world _that_ came from, as those feelings had most definitely _not _come from him.

As if in response, the eye on his crown began to glow a brilliant yellow, and a vortex of light opened a few paces in front of him.

Gazing at the portal in front of himself, Atem realized this may have been the answer he was looking for. The question was, where did it lead? Back to Earth or a completely different realm?

Of course, he knew the only way to find out was to go through. But, he wasn't certain he was willing to chance it.

That's when he heard it… A voice in his mind was calling out, a young female pleading for assistance.

_Someone help me! __**Please!**__ I need help!_

All of the Pharaoh's doubts ceased to exist. He didn't care where the vortex lead. Someone needed his help, and _he_ was going to help her.

. . .

A young girl, who looked to be around eleven- with shining purple eyes, short, spiky black hair, with goldenrod highlights, wearing a short-sleeved hoodie, capris, boots, long socks, wrist bands, and a topaz pendant- stood trembling and sobbing.

She gazed at the Duel Monster cards in her hand and the one she already had on the field, trying to figure out how she could possibly use any of them to win. She was low on Life Points, and her entire deck was at stake of being taken from her.

A whimper escaped her throat. So much was on the line, she _couldn't_ give up. But, her mind was so confused and upset, she didn't know what to do.

Closing her eyes, she prayed as hard as she could. _Someone, help me! __**Please!**__ I need help!_

She opened her eyes to see her topaz pendant glowing a brilliant yellow.

The girl gasped, seeing a glowing figure appear a few paces diagonally to her left. Once the glowing subsided, she could see that it was a person. But, it was too dark to see who it was.

. . .

Atem opened his eyes, taking a look at himself. _Let's see_, he thought. _Yep- two arms, two legs, hands, feet, body- looks like I'm all here._

With a relieved sigh, he shifted his purple gaze to the dueling field in front of him.

After taking mental notes of everything in play, he looked to his right, where a small girl stood, her pleading, desperate eyes on him.

_This must be who called out to me_, he decided, walking towards her.

. . .

The girl gazed at the person walking towards her, hoping with all her heart that he or she would be able to help.

"Who's _this_ clown?" she heard the gruff voice of her opponent demand.

She was about to answer, when the stranger turned towards him and returned, "I am a friend who is here to help," in a low, powerful voice.

"Ha! Help her if you want, but there's no way she can win. Her deck's as good as mine."

The girl flinched at the man's tone, stepping closer to her strange new friend.

. . .

Atem shifted his gaze back to the girl, as she stepped closer to him.

In a young, innocent voice, she started, "If you… really think you can help me… I-I'll do anything. Just… help me save my deck- it has some of the only friends I have in it."

Gazing at her tear-stained face, Atem smiled. "I don't need anything in return." He offered his hand. "Let me see your cards."

The girl and her opponent each had one card on the field, both were monsters in attack mode. The girl had the Cat's Ear Tribe (ATK/200, DEF/100), with the ability to make any monster's attack who attacked it two hundred. Her opponent had Moisture Creature (ATK/2800, DEF/2900), who was also an effect monster.

While the girl had three hundred Life Points, her opponent had two thousand five hundred.

Atem studied the girl's cards, then glanced up at the field, a smile playing on his lips.

"Any day now!" the girl's opponent rudely called. "Unless, you plan to forfeit the match."

"Not a chance!" the Pharaoh returned, challengingly. He turned his attention back to the girl. Crouching down a bit, so he would be more at her level, he gave her back the cards.

"What can we do?" she asked him, quietly.

Atem pointed to two cards, whispering, "Set this card and play this one in face down defense."

She nodded. "Alright." Turning her attention back to the field, she called, "I place one card face down and play a monster in face down defense mode!"

Her opponent laughed. "That's _it_? Two cards face down? I thought this guy was gonna help you!"

Paying no attention to him, the girl called, "I end my turn."

As he drew his next card, the girl said, "I activate my trap card: Thunder of Ruler! Now, you have to skip your battle phase this turn."

"Hnh. Not bad, for a Rookie. No matter, though. I draw and end my turn."

The girl took a deep breath, preparing for her next draw. "I hope the Heart of the Cards is with me," she whispered.

Atem was slightly surprised by this. Laying a hand on her shoulder, he said, "I'm certain it is."

She nodded, drawing her card. She looked at it, then showed it to Atem.

"A great card, indeed," he told her. "Go ahead and set in on the field, then flip summon your monster."

With another nod, she said, "I set another card, then flip summon the monster I played last turn: Drillago!"

"Ha! _That_ card? It only has an attack of sixteen hundred!" her opponent scoffed.

Atem simply laughed in return. "Attack points aren't everything. This monster happens to have the ability to attack your Life Points directly, if the only thing you have on your field are monsters with and attack of sixteen hundred or more."

"Say _what_?! You're kidding!"

"'Fraid not," the Pharaoh returned. Turning back to the girl, he said, "Why don't you just show him?"

"Okay," she agreed. "Drillago! Attack his Life Points directly!"

Drillago leapt over his monster and struck him in the gut with a power drilling punch, bringing his Life Points down to nine hundred.

After regaining his composure, her opponent snarled, claiming, "That was just a lucky move! My next move and this'll all be over!"

The girl flinched back at that statement.

"Don't worry," Atem told her, calmly. "You can win this."

She nodded, trying to keep her cool. "I end my turn."

"Alright!" her opponent called, paying no attention to the card he drew. "Moisture creature! Take down her Drillago and annihilate the rest of her Life Points!"

"I don't think so!" the girl interrupted. "I activate my trap card: Ceasefire! This card inflicts five hundred points of damage to my opponent's Life Points for each effect monster on the field!"

"And, guess what?" Atem continued. "All _three_ of the monsters on the field are effect monsters, giving her trap more than enough power to bring your Life Points to zero!"

Her opponent sank to his knees in defeat. "No… This _can't_ be _happening_! Her deck was supposed to be_ mine_- not the other way around!"

"I… I _actually_ won…," the girl said, seemingly out of breath.

Atem turned to give her a thumbs-up, only to see her fall to the ground, unconscious. He smiled, realizing that the duel must have just taken a lot out of her. Crouching down, he laid a hand on her back. "Way to go, kiddo."

Then, turning back to the girl's opponent, he stated, "I've never taken kindly to men who try to take advantage of young girls. Nor do I appreciate you scaring this girl the way you did. So… I feel as though there's something I owe you."

The scruffy man glared back at Atem. "And, what would _that _be?"

The Pharaoh raised his hand, yelling, "Mind Crush!"

The man gasped, then hit the dirt, also unconscious. Atem stepped over to him, kneeled down, and collected his cards.

Standing up and walking back over to the girl, he thought, _I hope that man learns from this. Evoking fear into others gets one nowhere in life._

The Pharaoh lifted the girl onto his back, then journeyed further into the woods that surrounded them, looking for a decent place to camp out.

. . .

It didn't take long for Atem to find a nice clearing for camping. Setting up a fire and preparing a comfortable sleeping space brought back memories from the Duelist Kingdom.

Once he was finished, Atem sat down beside the fire with a sigh. Since he hadn't had the time before, he checked to see what he looked like and what he was wearing.

He smiled, realizing he had taken a form nearly identical to the one he was as the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. His skin was no longer tan, and he was wearing a black muscle shirt and blue leather pants, along with a studded collar, wrist bands, belts, and leather boots.

Not only that, but he reached behind himself and, to his surprise, found his card holder. Pulling the deck out of it, his face brightened- he had his cards!

Atem truly was happy to be back in the living world. _But_…, he wondered, shifting his purple gaze from his cards to the girl on the other side of the fire, _how was this girl able to contact me? I never believed it was possible for the living and dead to communicate in such a way. Let alone to actually create a way for the dead to return to the living world as a living person._

He shook his head, deciding, _I guess it doesn't really matter, though. I'm here, just as I wished I could be._

Placing his deck back in its holder, Atem stood up and stepped around the fire, lying down beside the girl and laying an arm over her, to ensure she would stay warm.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The girl let out a groan, as the sun shone through the darkness of her eyelids. After a moment, she slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm glad to see you're up," Atem said, from the other side of the fire pit.

The girl, wide-eyed, turned to see her savior in the light for the first time. Not a moment later, she jumped back almost two feet, realizing who he was.

"Y-you're… you're _Yami_!" she gasped.

He nodded, a small smile on his face. "Indeed."

"But… I-I though you went to the afterlife three years ago!"

"I did," he confirmed, with another nod. "Somehow, though, you allowed me to come back. And, I thank you with all of my heart for doing so."

She simply blinked a few times, trying to comprehend the fact that a guy who was supposed to be dead was nonchalantly eating an apple right across from her.

"You must be hungry," Atem said, picking up another apple. "Here."

"Oh, um, thank you," she replied, slightly shy, as she accepted it.

"It's my pleasure," he returned. "May I ask what your name is?"

She nodded. "I'm Yulie Mirota."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Yulie," he stated, offering his hand. "My actual name is Atem."

She accepted his hand, pondering, "Atem? Hmm…"

"Is something wrong?" he questioned, worriedly.

Smiling sweetly, she answered, "No, I just think Yami suits you better. It has more of a flair to it- like your hair."

The Pharaoh chuckled, amused at the young girl's logic. "Fair enough. I don't mind you calling me that."

Yulie's eyes lit up. "Thank you!"

Atem's face suddenly became more serious. "Yulie… I know it probably isn't my business, but why were you out so late last night in the middle of the woods?"

Her innocent eyes gazed into the Pharaoh's intense ones. "I don't really know… I just felt like it was where I needed to be…" She paused for a moment, the continued, "That's when I ran into Duncan and he challenged me to a duel."

"Duncan… So, that was your opponent's name." He thought for a moment. "I wonder, though, why did you accept the challenge, especially if you knew your deck was on the line?"

Her eyes saddened. "He told me that, if I didn't agree, he was just going to take my cards. I wasn't going to give them up without a fight, so I agreed."

Atem nodded. "I see. You didn't really have a choice in the matter."

"Yeah…," she sighed.

The Pharaoh was silent for a moment, the asked, "Yulie, did anything _strange_ happen during your duel?"

She pondered that, then nodded. "I suppose you could say that."

His eyes widened. "What happened?"

"It was a little while after the duel started… I don't really know what happened, but my mind suddenly became clouded. A helpless feeling welled in my gut, as Duncan quickly gained the upper hand. A feeling of hopeless despair slowly wove itself through my mind, and I almost gave up. But… my deck was at stake, I couldn't give up. So, I did the only thing I thought I could do. I prayed with all of my heart that someone would come help me."

Atem's eyes widened even more. _So, it was her __**prayer**__ that I heard_, he realized.

"It was weird, though, as I prayed, my topaz gem began to glow. And, the next thing I knew, you appeared out of thin air."

It was the Pharaoh's turn to blink his eyes a few times, trying to comprehend what was going on.

"It's all because you came that I won the duel." She gazed deep into his equally purple eyes. "Thank you, Yami."

He shook his head. "It was the least I could do, seeing as you granted the only wish I'd had since I journeyed to the afterlife."

She smiled sweetly. "I'm glad I could help. After all, it's because of you that I began dueling."

He gave a smile of his own and nodded.

The two finished their apples in a pleasant silence. Once done, they threw the cores in the fire pit.

After doing so, Atem reached into his pocket, saying, "I almost forgot. Here. It's the deck you won from Duncan."

Yulie glanced at the cards he held towards her, the replied, "I think you should keep them. After all, I wouldn't have won if you hadn't come to help me."

He smiled, finding the middle of the deck. "At least take half, then."

"Alright," she agreed, accepting the half he held out, "I suppose I can do that."

The two sat in silence for another moment, until Atem spoke up. "Yulie, I know I've been asking a lot of questions, but would you mind telling me where you received your topaz gem?"

Her fingers instinctually moved to the gem, as she returned, "Three years ago, my parents and I had gone on a trip to Egypt. On the day we were to depart and come back home, a terrible sandstorm showed up out of nowhere."

Atem's face became serious at that statement. _Is it possible that this happened during the same time my friends and I were there, before I departed for the afterlife?_

"On our way to find shelter, I had gotten separated from my parents. I tried to find them, but the wind began picking up more, sand seeming to come from every direction. At some point, though, I came across a place where no sand was blowing. Glancing around, I saw that there was sand whipping all around this calm spot, and realized I must have been at the center of the storm."

She took a deep breath, then continued, "That's when something shiny caught my eye. Upon closer inspection, I found that it was a topaz gem. Not only that, but I found a Duel Monster card buried with it."

"A card? Which one?" the Pharaoh questioned, curiously.

"I'll show you," she answered, pulling out her deck and looking through it. Picking one out, she handed it to him.

His eyes widened in both shock and surprise, as he gazed upon it. "The Wicked Eraser… I have a feeling this card could rival the Egyptian Gods. I've never even heard of it."

"He's definitely one of my most treasured cards," was her response, as he handed it back.

"I can see why. Make sure you take good care of him."

She smiled. "Don't worry. I try to take care of all of my cards."

He nodded in return.

"As I was saying," she continued, "I sat there in the middle of the sandstorm, wondering how long it was going to last, and hoping someone would find me. Just as it did last night, the gem glowed. Then, I heard a voice."

_A voice?_ Atem wondered.

"It said, 'I am right here for you, Ata. I'll show you the way.' I turned to see a black cat, with shining sea foam-colored eyes gazing at me. His head was adorned with something like a gold crown, with the symbol of an eye on it."

_The Millennium Symbol_, the Pharaoh realized.

"'Come,' the cat told me. 'I will lead you where you wish.' So, I stood up and followed him into the storm. He had his tail wrapped around my leg so we wouldn't get separated. And, in no time at all, we made it to the airport, just as the storm faded. Once there, I met up with my parents, and they even let me keep the cat."

"This cat seems very interesting," Atem decided. "What do you know about him?"

Yulie shrugged. "Not much. He told me his name is 'Tumaini' and that it means 'hope' in Egyptian. As far as I know, he can only talk to me. And, he never calls me by my name. He refers to me as 'Ata', and never answers me when I ask him what it means." That's when she realized, "Wait- aren't _you_ a Pharaoh, Yami?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Then, do you know what 'Ata' means?"

He blinked a few times, then brought a hand to his chin, an extremely focused look on his face. _Ata… I know I've heard that somewhere…_

They sat in silence for nearly five minutes. Yulie was about to tell Atem not to worry about it, when his light clearly went on.

"I've got it!" he proclaimed. "Ata means 'princess'!" He smiled, proud of himself for remembering.

"Princess, huh?" the girl pondered. "I wonder why he would call me that."

Atem shrugged. "I don't know. Do you have a royal bloodline?"

Yulie raised an eyebrow. "Yami, most people these days don't keep track of their bloodline. I honestly have no idea what mine consists of."

"Hmm… I see what you mean." He thought for a moment. "Perhaps you are the reincarnation of a princess, then."

"Maybe. I don't have a clue, though." Not caring to give it much though, she stood up and stretched. After doing so, she asked, "What do you say I take you to my house?"

He nodded. "I don't see why not."


	4. Interlude One

_Interlude One_

_-Come, Play a Game with Me!-_

Come, let's keep going...

Walking arm in arm...

And counting recurring dreams.

Exhausted, I've finally found friends.

The road I'm familiar to...

Lately, I seem to be getting lost on it.

From the darkness...

The old me resurfaces...

Dry shouts piercing my broken heart.

I want to see your world...

Please, let me go with you.

The answer no one can find is inside me.

The key to the heart...

We'll find it!

Let's play a game!


	5. Chapter Three

**I can't believe how many views this has already! I hope that means everyone who's read it so far is enjoying it.  
>Remember, I'm always open for constructive criticism, so don't be afraid to leave a review or send me a PM, m'kay?<strong>

**Anywho, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Three<p>

Atem had been worried about going into the city and being seen, but Yulie assured him it would be fine, as it was so early in the morning and it was summer vacation.

Yulie's house turned out to be in the middle of the city, next to Kaiba Corp. They went to go inside, when Atem asked, "Are you sure this is alright, Yulie?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's fine. Tumaini is the only one here."

Thinking that her parents must have been on some kind of trip, he said, "Alright, then."

Once inside, Yulie and Atem took off their boots and went to the kitchen.

"Go ahead and pick something out that you think you'll like. I'll make it. While you do that, I'm going to let Tumaini know I'm home and brought a friend."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Tumaini!" Yulie called, stepping into the living room. "I'm home!"

The black cat ran down the stairs, hearing her call. Sitting proudly in front of her, he said, "Good morning, Ata. Everything is as it was when you left yesterday."

"Thanks for letting me know," she returned, with a smile. "I brought a friend home with me. Make sure you're nice to him, okay?"

He nodded. "Of course."

With that, she stepped back into the kitchen, seeing if Atem found something he wanted.

As she did, the Pharaoh held something towards her. "I'd like to try these."

Yulie smiled. "Cinnamon rolls, huh? Good choice. I would be happy to make them."

Atem sat on a chair at the table, as he watched the girl open up the container and gently place each cinnamon roll in a glass pan, while preheating the oven. In fact, he was watching so intently, he didn't see Tumaini step in front of him to sit.

Until… "Good morning, sir."

Atem jumped nearly three feet in the air. He stood up and gazed at the black cat staring at him.

"Sorry," Tumaini said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Yulie… your cat is talking to me…," the Pharaoh stated, ever-so-slightly weirded out.

She turned towards him, after placing the pan in the oven. "Really? Wow, you're the first, other than me!"

"But… I thought you said he could _only_ talk to _you_," he returned, shifting his gaze to her.

"All I said was, as far as I _know_, he can only talk to me," she corrected him. "I had been the only one he would talk to before. Though, I have no idea why he chose now to talk to someone else."

Tumaini glanced at her, then looked back at Atem. "He was the holder of the Millennium Puzzle," he stated, as if that answered everything.

Yulie, deciding it was best not to question the cat, said, "Yep. That's him," then decided to change the subject. "Anyway, Yami, the cinnamon rolls are going to take a little bit. Do you want to snack on some pocky until they're done?"

The Pharaoh tilted his head slightly. "Pocky?"

"Yeah," she returned, picking up a small box off the counter. Opening it, she pulled out a chocolate-covered biscuit stick. "Here," she said, handing it to him.

Atem accepted it, but took a moment to examine it. With a shrug, he thought, _Why not?_ then took a bite.

Yulie watched him chew it slowly then swallow. "So, do you like it?"

He nodded. "Yes. It is quite satisfactory." And, placed the rest in his mouth.

She smiled. "Good. If you want more, just ask." Motioning with her arm, she asked, "Do you want me to show you around?"

He gave her another nod. "Sure."

Leading him through the doorway at the right of the kitchen, she said, "This is the living room. There's the TV, couch, chairs, and coffee table." Pointing to another doorway to the right, she continued, "And, over there is the utility room where laundry is done."

Atem nodded. "Alright."

Taking him to the left of the room, where there were stairs, she stated, "The bedrooms and bathroom are up here," and lead him up the stairs.

As they neared the top, two doors came into view. Yulie pointed to the door at their immediate right, explaining, "This is the guest room," then the door beside it, "and this one's my room. Down the hall on the left is the master bedroom and beside that is the bathroom. Okay?"

He smiled. "Yes."

She gave a smile of her own. "Alright. Well, the cinnamon rolls should be nearly done."

"Good. I'm starving," the Pharaoh chuckled.

The two retreated back down to the kitchen, where Yulie took the rolls out of the oven and iced them. Once they cooled a bit, she took one out of the pan and placed it on a plate for Atem, then took one for herself.

They both sat themselves at the table, Yulie watching as Atem took his first bite. His curious expression immediately changed to one of blissful satisfaction.

"So, you like it, huh?" she questioned.

He nodded in answer, taking another bite.

She giggled. "You can have as much as you want. Help yourself."

The two sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying each other's company and the mouth-watering cinnamon rolls.

Once finished, Atem sighed contently, saying, "That was delicious. Thank you."

Yulie smiled. "I'm glad you liked it."

He nodded.

After a moment of silence, the Pharaoh asked, "So, what do you want to do?"

Yulie was completely surprised by this, nervousness sweeping through her gut. Her eyes widened for a moment, before returning to normal, as she looked down. "You mean… you don't mind spending time with me?"

He shook his head, trying to shake off a wave of nervous energy that seemed to rush at him out of the blue. "No. I don't mind. Why do you ask?"

"Well… I just… People don't normally want to hang out with me," she returned, eyes downcast.

He titled his head, a concerned look on his features. A deep sadness seemed to appear in his heart out of nowhere. Confusion once more settled in his mind, as he tried to figure out where these feelings were coming from.

Shaking his head again, he asked, "Do you want to play a game?"

The girl's eyes lit up considerably, as she replied, "Okay!"

The Pharaoh smiled at her enthusiasm. "What game shall we play, then?"

She gave a smile of her own. "Why don't you come help me choose one? I have a lot of games up in my room."

He nodded. "Sure."

So, leading him back upstairs, she stepped into her room and opened her closet, revealing several stacks of board games, card games, and video games. She pulled them all out and the two sat on the floor looking through them.

In the end, they just decided to bring every two-player game down to the living room to play.


	6. Chapter Four

**I'm sorry for taking so long to update! I feel so bad about it... Working as a church secretary is _not _fun during the holidays, I'm surprised I remembered what my name was throughout all of the chaos.  
>Anyway, though, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! I'm glad to see that so many people have been reading this!<strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter Four<p>

Atem, Yulie, and occasionally Tumaini laughed and enjoyed the challenges, as they played the games- Atem winning the most, but also letting Yulie win every so often so she wouldn't get discouraged.

They were in the middle of their third round of Go Fish, when a knock sounded at the front door.

"I'll get it," Yulie said, placing her cards face down and standing up. She turned towards the doorway, only to trip on her own feet and land face-first on the carpet.

Atem was up and over to her in two seconds flat. "Are you alright?" he questioned, helping her up.

"Yeah," she answered, blushing slightly. "Sorry. I'm a bit of a klutz."

He smiled. "You're fine." Then, walked with her to the door. He hung back while she opened it, not wanting to be in the way.

"Mokuba!" the girl exclaimed, happily, as the now high school aged boy entered the house.

He proceeded to lift her up and rub his knuckles across her head, earning cheerful giggling from the small girl.

"Stop, Mokuba!" she cried, in between laughs. "I give!"

Complying to her surrender, he set her back down, ruffling her hair. "How are ya, kiddo?" he asked.

She smiled. "I'm fine. How are you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, I've been worried sick. I came to check on you last night, but you were nowhere to be found."

Yulie's eyes dropped to the floor, a look of shame written all over her face. "I-I'm sorry…," she practically whispered.

Atem's eyes widened, as a wave of guilt materialized and smashed him in the gut.

Mokuba's features softened. "Well, as long as you're alright, I guess it's fine."

Her face brightened. "I am, thanks to Yami."

He looked back to where she gestured, his eyes falling on the Pharaoh and jaw dropping. "Y-Yami – I mean Pharaoh – no – Atem! Is that really you?" he managed to stutter.

Atem nodded. "Indeed, and it is a pleasure to see you again."

"Y-you too, but… how – what – uh…"

He chuckled at the boy's confusion. "I don't entirely understand how I returned either, but I think it may have something to do with Yulie," he attempted to explain, glancing over at the small girl.

Yulie smiled. "Yami, Tumaini, and I were just playing some Go Fish. Do you want to play?"

Mokuba shifted his gaze back to her. "Uh, sure. Why not?"

With a cheerful, "Yay!" she lead the two of them back to the living room where Tumaini was waiting patiently. The cat was happy to let the boy take his place, and everyone was soon laughing and enjoying themselves once more.

Unfortunately, Mokuba was only there for about a half an hour, when he got a call from his brother to head back to Kaiba Corp.

"Sorry, guys," he sighed, placing his phone back in his pocket. "I'm gonna have to get going."

Yulie smiled. "It's alright. I know you would stay longer if you could."

He ruffled her hair. "Yeah, that's right."

Atem nodded. "Good luck with your work."

Mokuba gave a smile of his own. "Thanks."

Yulie and Atem followed him to the door, to say farewell.

As he was getting his shoes back on, though, he remembered, "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot. I checked your messages yesterday, Yulie. Rally called for you."

The girl's face lit up a bit. "She did?"

"Yep. She wanted you to call back. I'm pretty sure she's still in America."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll do that in a bit."

"Alright, then," he said. "I'll see you later."

"I will. You too."

And, with that, he left.

Stepping back into the kitchen, Yulie's gaze fell on the clock. "It's already two in the afternoon, do you want me to make some lunch?"

Atem smiled. "Actually, I'd like to, if you wouldn't mind."

She grinned appreciatively in return. "Really? Thank you."

He nodded. "What would you like?"

She brought a hand to her chin in thought. "Hmm… A PB and J with some chocolate pudding sounds good."

He hummed in agreement. "Yes, it does."

"I'll help you get everything out, then."

He gave another nod. "Alright."

Lunch was made in less than fifteen minutes – God bless instant pudding! – and the two sat down at the table to enjoy it.

"Thank you, Yami," Yulie said, before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"You're welcome," he replied, starting on his pudding.

About halfway through the meal, Atem spoke up, "When are your parents coming home, Yulie? I don't wish to be a bother to them."

The girl's eyes saddened, as she set her spoon back in her bowl. "Yami… my parents aren't coming home."

A mixture of worry and confusion etched itself on the Pharaoh's face, as a large wave of sadness wove through his gut. "What do you mean?" he questioned, hoping his guess was wrong.

"They… passed away… three years ago…," she answered, solemnly.

The sadness in his gut swelled. "They… what?"

Tears began welling in her normally bright purple eyes. "A few days after our return from Egypt… we all got really sick. I managed to recover… but Mom and Dad didn't…"

Atem stood up and stepped over to her, kneeling down beside her chair. He offered a hug and she accepted the embrace, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry…" he said. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's alright," she sniffled. "I didn't get to spend much time with my parents. Especially after they started working at Kaiba Corp… Seto and Mokuba helped take care of me a lot."

That surprised the Pharaoh a bit. It was hard for him to imagine Kaiba taking care of someone other than Mokuba. "Really?" he asked.

She gave a small nod. "Yeah… those two and Rally are the only friends I've really ever had."

A pang of guilt made its way into his heart. "Why's that?"

"I don't know…," she returned, shaking her head slightly. "People like to pick on me a lot."

He hugged her tighter, thinking back to when Yugi had been bullied for being smaller and different. Breaking the embrace so he could look her in the eyes, Atem said, "If anyone ever gives you trouble again, let me know, alright?"

Yulie's eyes brightened slightly. "Okay."

He smiled, ruffling her hair. "Alright, then. Why don't we finish eating?"

She nodded. "Yeah!"

Taking his place back on the other side of the table, he finished the rest of his sandwich, as she finished her pudding. Rinsing their bowls off and placing them in the sink, he asked, "So, what do you want to play next?"

She gave a smile. "How about Jenga?"

He nodded in return. "Sure."

The two headed back to the living room to start setting up the game.

Atem gazed at Yulie, as she laughed and enjoyed herself. _She's so young…, _he thought, _but her eyes tell me she's been through so many things. She tries to hide it behind happiness and fun, but I can still see it. She reminds me so much of someone… Yugi, perhaps? No… they're similar, but that's not who… _He shook his head. _I guess it doesn't matter. No matter what, I'll be there for her. I swear it._

Yulie noticed him gazing at her. "Is something wrong, Yami?"

He shook his head again, coming out of his daze. "Uh, no. Everything's fine. I was just thinking."

She giggled. "Well, it's your turn, Mr. Space Cadet."

He chuckled in return, as he pulled a block from the Jenga tower.


End file.
